It is no exaggeration to suggest that the world is awash with signals from electronic “tags” of one kind or another—tags such as RFIDs, rectifying antennas or rectennas, nantennas, NFC tags, proximity tags, smart cards, and printed electronics. Some printed matters such as books, magazines, and newspapers have tags that provide information about the content of the printed matter or enable you to purchase them. Some kinds of electronic tags can be printed directly on the pages. Articles of clothing in shops and department stores have electronic tags that contain information such as the origin of the merchandise, the price, sizing, and, if taken through a doorway without being removed or deactivated, “complaining” through emitting aversive beeps or alerting security personnel. Automobiles have electronic tags that gather GPS positioning data to alert dealerships, rescue agents, and legal authorities of the location of the vehicle when needed. Legal detainees or criminals may be fitted with electronic tags that communicate positioning data so that authorities can determine their location without continuous personal observation. Children and people with dementia may be tagged to prevent them from getting lost.
People in effect carry electronic tags in their cell phones. Animals are frequently “chipped”—that is, fitted with electronic tags—so that they may be located, if necessary, for anxious owners or for scientists tracking migration patterns.
What is needed is a system and method that allows users to effectively interact with the electronic tags, and specifically a system and method that provides a means of interacting with the plurality of electronic tags to locate, tailor, map and display the various objects associated with the tags.